Pita is a staple flatbread of casual Middle Eastern cuisine. Sometimes the pita has a pocket, which is opened and filled with delicious ingredients. Sometimes it has no pocket, and is merely folded over to contain the ingredients as best it can. The cooling, refreshing cucumber-laced yogurt sauce, called by many names—tzatziki in Greek, jajik in Armenian, cacik in Turkish, raita in Hindi—soothes the heat of a dish and the heat of the day. Following the Greek theme suggested by the sausage, I call for pita without a pocket. I shape the sausage into small balls and grill the balls, their aroma recalling the enticing, smoky scent that wafts from spinning souvlakis (gyros) you find in marketplaces throughout Greece.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Sauce
Pita Toppings
Preparation
Step 1
To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix. Cover and refrigerate until using, or for up for 2 days.
Step 2
To prepare the pita toppings, combine the tomatoes, basil, and salt in a small bowl and toss to mix. Combine the arugula, bell pepper, chickpeas, feta, and oil in a medium bowl and toss to mix.
Step 3
Prepare a medium-hot grill.
Step 4
Place the sausage balls on the grill rack directly over the heat and grill, turning frequently, until browned all around and no longer pink in the center, 7 to 10 minutes. Just before the sausage balls are ready, lightly char the pita breads on both sides on the grill, about 30 seconds per side. Or, toast them in a toaster oven until beginning to turn golden.
Step 5
To serve, place 2 sausage balls in the center of each pita. Top with the arugula salad, then the tomatoes, dividing them evenly. Drizzle the yogurt sauce over all, fold, and enjoy.
